Packages of bees
Bee packages – all similar, yet very different in their composition and use.
The preparation of bee packages is not a common practice in beekeeping, as it requires specific expertise that is rarely taught in beekeeping schools. Many online videos fail to provide all the information surrounding this technique, which often leads to unsuccessful outcomes when beekeepers attempt to put it into practice.
Shaken bee packages: composition, technique, and strategic applications
The preparation of bee packages is a technically demanding practice, uncommon in hobby beekeeping, but particularly useful for the creation of artificial swarms, swarm control, and queen introduction. The fundamental principle rests on the age of the bees making up the package. Depending on the objective, the selection of individuals must be adapted accordingly.
To accompany a virgin queen in a nucleus, only young house bees are appropriate. To build up a colony rapidly around a laying queen, slightly older house bees on the verge of becoming foragers are preferable. Foragers must never be included: they tolerate confinement poorly, overheat in the presence of light, and readily desert the new colony.
The "shaken package" method involves inducing house bees to move upward through intensive smoking and vibrations of the brood box (pages 2 to 4). The stressed young bees engorge themselves with nectar and move up into a super fitted with drawn-out frames, separated from the brood box by a metal queen excluder that prevents the queen from passing through. Collection is preferably carried out in the afternoon, when nectar is present in the brood box. The frames are then shaken into a purpose-built box, allowing the foragers to fly off.
The quantities collected must be strictly observed: 50 to 100 g per brood frame. Too small a collection will have no effect on swarming, while an excessive one will weaken the colony and reduce its honey production. Mixing bees from at least three colonies improves the acceptance of queens from a different source.
The package box must allow for ventilation, the clustering of bees, and heat dissipation (page 3). Two brood frames are recommended for a maximum of 4 kg of bees. A light mist of cold water cools the cluster without saturating it. Effective ventilation is essential during transport and storage.
Packages can be used to populate nuclei one hour after assembly. They can be kept for 24 to 48 hours without feeding, and longer if a food supply and a stabiliser (virgin queen or pheromone) are added. The longer the storage period, the more delicate the acceptance of virgin queens becomes.
In conclusion, the shaken package technique offers a precise and adaptable method for colony management and the creation of artificial swarms. Its success depends on respecting the age of the bees, the quantities collected, and the ventilation and cooling conditions. When properly mastered, it constitutes an effective beekeeping management tool.
See also:
- Bee packages
- Bare swarm
- Colony splitting
- Swarm prevention
- Practical Guide: 1.4.5 Nucleus – midday method (Flugling)
- Summer nuclei using bees from the supers